Turkish military evacuation plane fired at in Sudan while landing, no injuries reported

A Turkish military plane was fired at on April 28 as it was landing in Sudan to evacuate Turkish citizens. The Turkish Defense Ministry said that there were no injuries and the plane landed safely.

Friday April 28 2023 12:47 pm

Duvar English - Reuters

A Turkish military plane on a mission to evacuate Turkish citizens from conflict-torn Sudan was fired at, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on April 28.

A Turkish C-130 evacuation plane, which was headed to Wadi Seidna Air Base for the evacuation, came under small arms fire, said the ministry.

The plane landed safely, and no injuries were reported, the statement added.

Earlier, speaking on the continuing evacuation, the ministry said: “The first group of our citizens was safely brought to Türkiye by planes belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces.”

Sudan's army confirmed the shooting, saying that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had shot at the Turkish plane. The RSF denied firing at the plane and said the Sudanese army was "spreading lies."

Hundreds have died and tens of thousands of people have fled in two weeks of conflict between the army and its rival.

The two factions agreed late on April 27 to prolong a ceasefire by 72 hours to allow for humanitarian access, but fighting flared in parts of the capital Khartoum on April 28, according to eyewitnesses and live video broadcasts.

Topics Turkey Sudan Turkish military Turkish Defense Ministry